Oyster-dipper.



E. F. HULBERT.

OYSTER DIPPEB.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV.11,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

0006( WDQOKD 0 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CD.,WASHINGTON, 01C.

E. F. HULBERT.

OYSTER DIPPE R. 7

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11,1910.

rammed 001. 10,1911.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA VLANOGRAPH c0, WASHINGTON, D. C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN F. HULBERT, or SOUTH NORWALK, connscricnr, ASSIGNOR 'ro sEALsHIP'i:

OYSTER SYSTEM, A CORPORATION OF new YORK.

OYSTER-DIPPER.

Specification of Lettersiatent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

Application filed November 11, 1910. semi llTd. 591,899.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWIN F. HULBERT, citizen of the United States, residing at South Norwalk, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Oyster-Dippers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in devices for use by oyster shuckers for draining off the liquor and water of the oysters as they are shucked, said devices being known in the trade as dippers.

In the commercial operation of shucking oysters, particularly as carried on in large factories, the shuckers are provided with dippers of predetermined sizes and are paid according to the number of dipper-fuls shucked. As the men are paid at this rate, I have found that they are accustomed to practice what is known as laying up the oysters. That is to say, they are in the habit of placing the oysters around the outside wall of the dipper so as to stop up the perforations therein with the result that the liquor and water from the oysters will accumulate in the center of the dipper and the dipper will be more quickly filled and require fewer oysters to fill it.

With a knowledge of these conditions, my present invention has for its primary object an improved dipper which will practically prevent the shuckers from practicing this fraud and to that end the invention consists, essentially in a dipper which is in the nature of a colander, embodying a perforated body portion provided with a perforated bottom and a preferably centrally disposed perforated tube within the body portion and v rising from the bottom thereof, and a base which will securely hold the dipper in a relatively elevated position on the shucking bench and prevent the dipper from coming in contact with the bottom and thus closing up the holes in the bottom, the base being of substantially a strong formation and forming practically an integral part of the dipper so as to preclude the possibility of contact between the perforated bottom of the dipper and the bench, it being also well known to those skilled in the art and trade to which this invention appertains, that with the ordinary construction of dipper heretofore employed, the same having legs for supporting the dipper, the workmen have an accumulation of water and liquor in the dipper. And the invention also consists in certain constructions and arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the inven-- tion, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of dipper embodying the improvements of my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View thereof; Fig. 3 is a perspec-- tive view of another form; Fig". 4 is a sectional view of such form; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the handles; and, Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section, illustrating particularly a joint that is used.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

In that embodiment of my invention illustrated particularly in Fig. 1, the body portion 1 has upwardly sloping perforate-d walls and is heavily wired at its upper rim, as indicated at 2. At its bottom, the body portion 1 is formed with an outstanding annular flange 3 on which is crimped the outer edge 4 of the perforated bottom 5, said bottom preferably sloping upwardly and outwardly at its margin where it meets the inner surface of the body portion 1. The bottom 5 is formed with a preferably centrally disposed opening defined by a conical tube 6, said tube being also perforated. In order to support the dipper with the bottom 5 in relatively elevated position, I have provided a base ring 7 which is heavily wired, as indicated at 8, so that it will not be liable to break down, the base ring being soldered or otherwise secured around the upwardly sloping side walls of tle bottom 5 just underneath the crimped e go 4.

9 designates handles which are secured in any desired way to the body portion 1 and ring 7 the handles being preferably two in number and oppositely disposed, as clearly illustrated in the drawing.

It is to be understood that my invention is not limited to the tapering formation illustrated in Fig. 1, although I deem that formation preferable as it renders less liable the possibility of the shuckers banking or laying up the oysters. For instance, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the dipper may be cylindrical, the perforated body portion being designated 1 and the tube 6 said tube being centrally disposed and being also cylindrical. These and other changes in the con struction, shape, and proportions of the parts may bemade without departing from the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

' From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawings, the operation of my improved oyster dipper will be apparent. In the practical use of the device, the dipper is supported on the shuckers bench, with the perforated bottom in relatively elevated position, and the oysters are opened into the dipper, the perforated tubes and the increased drainage facilities provided thereby rendering it impractical, if not impossible, for the shuckers to lay up the oysters around the body por tion so as to produce an accumulation of the center of the dipper.

is claimed as new is:

1. A device of the character described, i

comprising a perforated body portion, provided with a perforated bottom, and a perforated tube extending upwardly from the bottom and within the body portion.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a perforated body portion, pro vided with a perforated bottom, a perfo- 40 rated tube rising from the bottom up within the body portion, and a base ring connected to the body portion and arranged to hold the device with the bottom in a relatively elevated position.

3. A device of the character described, comprising an upwardly sloping body portion provided with perforations and also provided with a perforated bottom,cand a conical perforated tube rising up within the body portion from the bottom and spaced from the perforated walls of the body portion. Y

4. A device of the character described, comprising a perforated body portion provided with a perforated bottom, the body portion being formed at its lower edge with an outturned flange and the bottom sloping upwardly at its side walls, and having I 1ts edge crimped around sald flange, and a base ring secured around the bottom and to fthe latter underneath and in proximity to 1 the crimped edge. the llquor and water from the oysters 1n j iin presence of two witnesses. Havmg thus described the 1nvent1on,what

In testimony whereof I afix my signature EDWIN r. I IULBERT. [Ls] lVitnesses H. WV. BIssELL, H. T. GRIEBLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

